Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Emotions and Countertransference

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Reflective Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy in a Diverse Society

  • 877 Accesses

Abstract

Without the therapist’s openness and responsivity to a client’s emotional experience, counseling and psychotherapy are mechanistic and without compassion. Countertransference is the automatic emotional reaction of a therapist toward a client that occurs within the therapeutic encounter. Cultural background, personal experiences, and socialization contribute to countertransference responses. Values, theories, as well as biases and prejudices, all play a role in the responses and affect the therapy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Ackerman, S. J., Benjamin, L. S., Beutler, L. E., Gelso, C. J., Goldfried, M. R., Hill, C., … & Rainer, J. (2001). Empirically supported therapy relationships: Conclusions and recommendations of the Division 29 Task Force. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 38(4), 495.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barrett, L. F., Lewis, M., & Haviland-Jones, J. M. (Eds.). (2016). Handbook of emotions. New York: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brody, E. M., & Farber, B. A. (1996). The effects of therapist experience and patient diagnosis on countertransference. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 33(3), 372.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bush, G., Luu, P., & Posner, M. I. (2000). Cognitive and emotional influences in anterior cingulate cortex. Trends in Cognitive Sciences,4(6), 215–222.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cartwright, C. (2011). Transference, countertransference, and reflective practice in cognitive therapy. Clinical Psychologist,15(3), 112–120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ciarrochi, J., & Scott, G. (2006). The link between emotional competence and well-being: A longitudinal study. British Journal of Guidance and Counselling,34(2), 231–243.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colli, A., & Ferri, M. (2015). Patient personality and therapist countertransference. Current Opinion in Psychiatry,28(1), 46–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Connolly, M. B., Crits-Christoph, P., Demorest, A., Azarian, K., Muenz, L., & Chittams, J. (1996). Varieties of transference patterns in psychotherapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology,64(6), 1213.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cowen, A. S., & Keltner, D. (2017). Self-report captures 27 distinct categories of emotion bridged by continuous gradients. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,114(38), E7900–E7909.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dahl, H. S. J., Røssberg, J. I., Bøgwald, K. P., Gabbard, G. O., & Høglend, P. A. (2012). Countertransference feelings in one year of individual therapy: An evaluation of the factor structure in the Feeling Word Checklist-58. Psychotherapy Research,22(1), 12–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Damasio, A. R. (1996). The somatic marker hypothesis and the possible functions of the prefrontal cortex. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences, 351(1346), 1413–1420.

    Google Scholar 

  • Demoulin, S., Leyens, J. P., Paladino, M. P., Rodriguez-Torres, R., Rodriguez-Perez, A., & Dovidio, J. (2004). Dimensions of “uniquely” and “non-uniquely” human emotions. Cognition and Emotion,18(1), 71–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • de Vogel, V., & de Ruiter, C. (2004). Differences between clinicians and researchers in assessing risk of violence in forensic psychiatric patients. Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology,15(1), 145–164.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fauth, J. (2006). Toward more (and better) countertransference research. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 43(1), 16–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frijda, N. H. (1988). The laws of emotion. American Psychologist,43(5), 349.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gabbard, G. O., & Kay, J. (2001). The fate of integrated treatment: Whatever happened to the biopsychosocial psychiatrist? American Journal of Psychiatry,158(12), 1956–1963.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gelso, C. J., & Carter, J. A. (1994). Components of the psychotherapy relationship: Their interaction and unfolding during treatment. Journal of Counseling Psychology,41(3), 296.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gelso, C. J., & Hayes, J. A. (2002). The management of countertransference. In J. C. Norcross (Ed.), Psychotherapy relationships that work: Therapist contributions and responsiveness to patients (pp. 267–283). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayes, J. A., & Gelso, C. J. (2001). Clinical implications of research on countertransference: Science informing practice. Journal of Clinical Psychology,57(8), 1041–1051.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hill, C. E., & Knox, S. (2009). Processing the therapeutic relationship. Psychotherapy Research,19(1), 13–29.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holmqvist, R. (2001). Patterns of consistency and deviation in therapists’ countertransference feelings. Journal of Psychotherapy Practice & Research,10(2), 104–116.

    Google Scholar 

  • Holmqvist, R., & Armelius, B. Å. (1994). Emotional reactions to psychiatric patients: Analysis of a feeling checklist. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica,90(3), 204–209.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Horton, R. (2006). Refining theory and practice in the cultural psychology of emotion: Tibetan “anger” and the roots of the modern Tibetan commitment to nonviolence (Unpublished doctoral dissertation), University of Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Imhof, J. E. (1991). Countertransference issues in alcoholism and drug addiction. Psychiatric Annals,21(5), 292–306.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Joseph, C. (2001). The virtues as a cultural domain: A study of Arabic Speaking Muslims (Unpublished doctoral dissertation), University of Chicago.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keltner, D., & Cordaro, D. T. (2017). Understanding multimodal emotional expressions: Recent advances in basic emotion theory. In Jose-Miguel Fernandez-Dols & James Russell (Eds.), The science of facial expression (pp. 57–76). London: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohler, C. G., Turner, T., Stolar, N. M., Bilker, W. B., Brensinger, C. M., Gur, R. E., et al. (2004). Differences in facial expressions of four universal emotions. Psychiatry Research,128(3), 235–244.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kraus, M. W. (2017). Voice-only communication enhances empathic accuracy. American Psychologist,72(7), 644.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lane, F. M. (1986). Transference and countertransference: Definitions of terms. In H. Meyers (ED.), Between analyst and patient: New dimensions in countertransference and transference (pp. 237–256). London, UK: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Milmoe, S., Rosenthal, R., Blane, H. T., Chafetz, M. E., & Wolf, I. (1967). The doctor’s voice: Postdictor of successful referral of alcoholic patients. Journal of Abnormal Psychology,72(1), 78.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muran, J. C. (2002). A relational approach to understanding change: Plurality and contextualism in a psychotherapy research program. Psychotherapy Research,12(2), 113–138.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murphy, F. C., Nimmo-Smith, I. A. N., & Lawrence, A. D. (2003). Functional neuroanatomy of emotions: A meta-analysis. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience,3(3), 207–233.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Najavits, L. M. (2000). Researching therapist emotions and countertransference. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice,7(3), 322–328.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Plutchik, R. (1997). The circumplex as a general model of the structure of emotions and personality. In R. Plutchik & H. R. Conte (Eds.), Circumplex models of personality and emotions (pp. 17–45). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Pope, K. S., & Tabachnick, B. G. (1993). Therapists’ anger, hate, fear, and sexual feelings: National survey of therapist responses, client characteristics, critical events, formal complaints, and training. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice,24(2), 142.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prasko, J., & Vyskocilova, J. (2010). Countertransference during supervision in cognitive behavioral therapy. Activitas Nervosa Superior Rediviva,52(4), 253–262.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prasko, J., Diveky, T., Grambal, A., Kamaradova, D., Mozny, P., Sigmundova, Z., … & Vyskocilova, J. (2010). Transference and countertransference in cognitive behavioral therapy. Biomedical Papers, 154(3), 189–198.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenberger, E. W., & Hayes, J. A. (2002). Origins, consequences, and management of countertransference: A case study. Journal of Counseling Psychology,49(2), 221.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rossberg, J. I., Karterud, S., Pedersen, G., & Friis, S. (2008). Specific personality traits evoke different countertransference reactions: An empirical study. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease,196(9), 702–708.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rossberg, J. I., Karterud, S., Pedersen, G., & Friis, S. (2010). Psychiatric symptoms and countertransference feelings: An empirical investigation. Psychiatry Research,178(1), 191–195.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Russell, M., & Brickell, M. (2015). The “double-edge sword” of human empathy: A unifying neurobehavioral theory of compassion stress injury. Social Sciences,4(4), 1087–1117.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sherif, M. A. (1975). Ghazali’s theory of virtue. Albany, NY: SUNY Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shweder, R. A., Haidt, J., Horton, R., & Joseph, C. (2008). The cultural psychology of the emotions: Ancient and renewed. In M. Lewis, J. M. Haviland-Jones, & L. F. Barrett (Eds.), Handbook of emotions (pp. 409–427). New York, NY: The Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stampley, C., & Slaght, E. (2004). Cultural countertransference as a clinical obstacle. Smith College Studies in Social Work,74(2), 333–347.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Strupp, H. H. (1980). Success and failure in time-limited psychotherapy: A systematic comparison of two cases: Comparison 1. Archives of General Psychiatry,37(5), 595–603.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thoits, P. A. (1989). The sociology of emotions. Annual Review of Sociology,15(1), 317–342.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ulberg, R., Falkenberg, A. A., Nerdal, T. B., Johannessen, H., Olsen, J. E., Eide, T. K., et al. (2013). Countertransference feelings when treating teenagers: A psychometric evaluation of the Feeling Word Checklist–24. American Journal of Psychotherapy,67(4), 347–358.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whyte, C. R., Constantopoulos, C., & Bevans, H. G. (1982). Types of countertransference identified by Q- analysis. British Journal of Medical Psychology,55(2), 187–201.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Winnicott, D. W. (1949). Hate in the counter-transference. International Journal of Psycho-Analysis,30, 69–74.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education, Western University, London, Canada

    Jason D. Brown

Authors
  1. Jason D. Brown
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jason D. Brown .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Brown, J.D. (2019). Emotions and Countertransference. In: Reflective Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy in a Diverse Society. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-24505-4_7

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation